I've Got an "In"

Okay, I've never done drugs so I've never had a 'dealer'. I don't know anyone who bootlegs DVD's so I don't know a 'guy'. I've lived in Las Vegas my whole life and I've only gotten 'comped' a couple of times. I don't know anyone who can put me 'on the list'. And while I don't really want to participate in any illegal activity, I have always felt kind of out of the loop. Like everyone else had some special connection and I was flying solo. But no more, 'cuz now I have a 'guy' who can totally hook me up with Ikea merchandise.

I know I blogged about ModernLV before and how it is such an amazing idea to bring Ikea to the Ikea-less Las Vegas. But last night I got my first delivery and I had to tell you all about it! I got an email from William Crozer, the "Director of Operations" (don't you love it when a two person company has employees with such lofty titles?) saying my merchandise was in. He sent me another email saying he was out making deliveries and if I was near a freeway he'd drop my stuff off too. I thought this was totally cool of him since I only bought seven dollars worth of stuff. My house is two minutes from a freeway exit and we made arrangements to meet in the parking lot of the shopping center that is right next to the freeway. (And, conveniently enough, right next to a Del Taco, and it was Tuesday, which means tacos were on sale 3 for $1.09, so guess what we had for dinner last night? Yup, taco salads. Add some beans and tomatoes and a bit of sour cream to some crushed up tacos and viola, yummy dinner on the cheap.)

William called me when he was fifteen minutes away from my area and I put my money in and envelope and headed off to the shopping center. I felt a little like I was going to make a drug deal, exchanging cash for the packets. I have been going to that shopping center my whole life (there is a great Chinese restaurant and my Grandma Wilhite did all her laundry at the laundromat and there used to be a terrific video store from the pre-Blockbuster and Netflix days.) But the shopping center has fallen on hard times when the freeway expansion forced the closing of the big grocery store and the McDonald's but I still go there frequently to the CVS or the Del Taco. But it's a little seedy after dark, I'll be honest. I don't usually care but I felt a little bad meeting my new BFF there. And again, I felt a little like some illicit exchange was going to be made. While I sat in my car, waiting for William, I witnessed not one, but two suspected drug deals. Now again, I've only seen drug deals in the movies but when people wait in their cars and a guy on a bike rides up to them, exchanges something through the window and then the car drives away, it doesn't take Sherlock Homes to figure out what's going on. I was afraid that while sitting in my car that the bicycle man would approach me and I would have no idea of the proper etiquette to turn him down. (Although it has been getting harder and harder to buy my nasal decongestant lately due to it's use in making crystal meth. I was wondering if meth helps you breathe better because it might be easier to buy it from a dealer than getting Sudafed at the pharmacy. Plus, meth helps you lose weight, right? But there is that whole 'losing all your teeth" and I hate dentists so maybe that's not the best way to go.)

William arrived and I got out of the car with my envelope and we exchanged the cash for the Graddsas sauce packets. My new 'dealer' also gave me the new Ikea catalog. (Just like a dealer, he hooks you with a little taste then turns you on the the harder stuff!) It wasn't exactly like a drug deal though, unless dealers are now giving receipts. We talked for a few minutes about the business and Ikea. He was totally cool, but I kind of had to laugh too. If I had to picture in my mind the type of person who would start an Ikea import business, it would be a yuppie white liberal in a hybrid car. (Have you ever seen "Best in Show' the brilliant dog show mockumentary from Christopher Guest and company? The couple with the weimeriner who met at Starbucks and likes to quiz each other on what's new in the J. Crew catalog? That's totally how I pictured William and his wife, the couple who own and run ModernLV) And who shows up? An upscale white guy with an Obama bumper sticker on his black Prius. I'm not making fun, just saying that he was EXACTLY like I pictured him and it made me smile. Did I mention before that the Crozer's even participate in a carbon offsetting program so I can even feel like an environmentalist while I buy my Ikea from them? Yes, they are that cool.

ModernLV is a business that if it succeeds is doomed to fail. By that I mean if there truly are enough people in Las Vegas that love Ikea, eventually Ikea will come here and ModernLV will have no reason to exist any more. And William is okay with that. He'd rather have an Ikea here. But until then he will spread the gospel of Ikea and occasionally mecca to one to worship at the temple of Swedish modern furnishings at reasonable prices. I agree with that philosophy, especially when it gets me the items I need without a four hour drive (unlike Dyann, I travel to Southern California very infrequently these days.) And the Crozer's are providing a really valuable service. We are in the midst of redecorating our living room and have been on quest to find a new couch. One that's comfortable. (Do you know how many couches are uncomfortable? It's amazing!) The room is small and we are looking for something modern but with a beach cottage feel. Our front runner is a love seat at Macy's that's nearly $1400.

This one at Ikea is $549. Granted, it's fabric instead of leather, but we can get a lot of slipcovers for the extra $850. (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the one at Macy's but it's not my money.) But before the Crozer's our only option was to buy locally or rent a truck. But now we have the option of using ModernLV to fetch it for us. I don't know which we will eventually choose. But it's nice to have options. And that's the service that ModernLV is providing, the option to get Ikea merchandise without shipping charges that make the affordable into not affordable.

Tomorrow night is Swedish meatball night, thanks to ModernLV. I'm still going to work on a sauce equivalent to the packets but at least I have a supply now to tide us over until I do. And a way to get more. The Crozer's did me a huge favor and I wish them well. I've offered to write a couple of entries for their website. And I encourage you to become a friend of ModernLV on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. And, if you should happen to need some Ikea merchandise and decide to use ModernLV, mention my name and tell the Crozer's I sent you, and let them know I'm sharing the love. And the next time you have a brilliant idea, pursue it, you never know where it might lead!

Inaugural Lunch

Here is what the Obama's are having at their luncheon today. I'm having an egg salad sandwich and a handful of M&M's, how about you?

The 2009 Inaugural Luncheon Menu
First Course
Seafood Stew
Duckhorn Vineyards, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley
Second Course
A Brace of American Birds (pheasant and duck), served with Sour Cherry Chutney and Molasses Sweet Potatoes
Goldeneye, 2005 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
Third Course
Apple Cinnamon Sponge Cake and Sweet Cream Glacé
Korbel Natural “Special Inaugural Cuvée,” California Champagne

Recipes from Barack Obama's Inaugural Luncheon: first course
Seafood Stew
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

6 (1 lb) Maine lobsters
20 medium size Sea scallops
36 Large shrimp, peel, cleaned and tail removed, aprox. 2 lbs.
10 (1 oz) pieces of black cod
½ cup small dice carrots
½ cup small dice celery
½ cup small dice leek
½ cup small dice Idaho potato
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 quart heavy cream
1 cup dry vermouth (can be made without)
10 (5 inch) puff pastry rounds

Equipment
10 (3 ½ inch) terrines/ramekins or serving dish of your choice

Directions
1. Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil; poach lobsters, then shrimp, then black cod and last scallops. After
seafood is cooked, remove from water; reserve water and bring to boil.
2. Cook all vegetables in liquid that was used for the seafood, remove vegetables when tender. Allow
the liquid to continue to boil until only 1qt of liquid remains. This will be the base for the sauce.
3. Bring seafood liquid back to a boil and add the vermouth and heavy cream and reduce by half,
season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste. You have reached your desired thickness when
the sauce will cover the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside to cool.
4. Cut Maine lobster, shrimp and scallops into bite size pieces.
5. Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees.
6. Fold seafood and vegetables into cool sauce, being careful not to mix too much as this will break up
the seafood. Scoop mixture into terrines or oven proof baking dish of your choice.
7. Cover terrines with puff pastry rounds, brush them with egg wash and bake them until golden
brown about 8-10 minutes, allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. You can cook this 2-3 hours
ahead of time and keep warm at 150 F degrees.

He Had A Dream

I was born in a generation that never knew segregation. I have friends of every kind and I only think of them as my friends, not by their race or nationality or religion. But it wasn't always so and that's why Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech was so moving to all of those involved with the civil rights movement. I think those words are even more poignant today, as we prepare to inaugurate the first "black" President of the United States. The world can change and people can change. I wonder what Dr. King would say if he were here today? Here is an excerpt from that powerful speech. Happy Martin Luther King Day.

"And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

"And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Little Miracles

Sometimes life can really get you down and you don't know how to keep going. I have known some incredible women who have faced incredible odds and challenges in their lives and came through it stronger and with more heart than ever before. It's hard for me to understand how they do it, I'm not sure I have that kind of strength, but they are a source of inspiration for my life.

One, of course, is my mom. Losing her husband then battling aggressive breast cancer was tough on her but she gets up every day and she never feels sorry for herself. She is my hero.

I knew a woman who lost her son to SIDS, then out of grief her husband committed suicide. I don't know how anyone has the resiliency to come through that with a positive outlook on life, but she did. Amazing.

Finally, there is my friend Lindsay. I have known Lindsay since she was a teenager, working at the law firm I used to work at. I saw her graduate from high school, go to college, get married and have her first baby. Gavin was an amazing little boy but due to health issues from birth his incredible life was cut short. During that time, and every day since, Lindsay and her husband Jason and their families displayed such powerful strength and faith that I was awed. Their faith teaches them that families are for eternity and I know that they have drawn great comfort in knowing that they will be with their little 'bug' again. I can only imagine how hard it was, and what they had to endure, the horrible pain and heartbreak of losing a child but Lindsay's face has always shown the inner peace, serenity and beauty of a woman who has faith in her Heavenly Father and his plan for her life. I was so grateful that her faith gave her such comfort, and honestly, a bit jealous. I wish I knew that kind of faith.

Reading Lindsay's blog has been a study in hope, and today there was a post that made my heart smile. A little miracle.


Welcome to the world, Jack Jason Bailey. You are already more beloved than you can imagine. You have wonderful parents who would do anything for you, and an extended family so happy and grateful for your arrival. Plus a special big brother who is watching out for you. How lucky can one little boy be?

Congratulations Lindsay and Jason. You deserve this miracle. And congratulations to the Mortensen and Bailey families as well, I know how happy you all will be. Happy Birthday Jack, and welcome to the world!

Comfort Food

I have been thinking of doing a post on the restaurants in Las Vegas I most want to eat at (I'll do it another day) when I came across a documentary on HBO about Le Cirque. Since Le Cirque is on my list, I stopped to watch it. It was just an okay documentary (although the founder of the restaurant, Sirio Maccioni, has had a very interesting life) but there were a couple of things that stuck out in it for me.

The first was when the Maccioni family went to McDonald's for lunch. Yes, the owners of one of the most famous four star restaurants in the world ate at McDonald's. And what's more, they scarfed their food from the various bags and boxes with the manners of a starving four year old. Plus there was a prodigious amount of ketchup consumed. Now I have often been told that I should be ashamed of my ketchup use, that as a gourmand I should have better taste than to use the lowly condiment. I love ketchup and the fact that it is loaded with healthy lycopene is a bonus, but it has always been somewhat of a shameful secret that only my close friends and family know about. But after watching Mario Maccioni (the CEO of the Las Vegas Le Cirque) bellow for more ketchup, I no longer feel so ashamed. If the Maccioni's can appreciate the enhancement that ketchup brings to food, then so can I.

The second thing that I noticed in the film as that when the matriarch of the Maccioni clan was stressed (they were awaiting the second review from the New York Times after the first one when the restaurant re-opened was dismal) she ate french fries. She said, "As long as I have my french fries and wine, I'm good." French fries were her comfort food. Interestingly enough, while I was watching the documentary, I was eating my comfort food.

My comfort food is Campbell's Tomato Bisque soup with crushed up saltine crackers and some cheddar cheese stirred in. It stems back to my childhood when my paternal grandmother would spoon feed me this soup with oyster crackers in it long past the age when I should have been spoon fed anything. It is the ultimate in feeling loved and cherished for me. I adapted to crushed up saltines when oyster crackers became too expensive for my college budget and the cheese was an addition to give the soup yet another layer of comfort. It's like eating tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich without all the work. Now I only eat this comfort food when I really need its healing powers. When I made it yesterday I realized I was making it on the same stove my grandmother did, which added to it immensely.

My 'go to' for comfort if I need a quick fix is mashed potatoes. The serotonin in potatoes really gives me a happy rush. But because I like mashed potatoes just about any time, they are a comfort, but not the way that the tomato bisque is. I know people who like mac n' cheese for their comfort food and for others it's a chocolate fix. It's interesting that people have a food that makes them feel better somehow. I'm not sure I completely trust people who don't have a comfort food (although my mom claims not to have one, I have seen her eat an entire family sized bag of corn chips when she's stressed so I don't believe her. Besides, this is a woman who is a proponent of 'people chow' so I know she's part android.) My brother likes a cheeseburger when he's out of sorts and my sis-in-law runs for the Ben & Jerry's. I had a roommate who ate a box of Noodle Roni when she needed comfort while another went the grilled cheese route.

I know that food isn't love but isn't it nice to know that when you are sad or scared or depressed that there is some food you can eat that makes you feel a teensy bit better because it connects you with a time when you felt happy or loved or cared for? Maybe for you it's not a food but a song or a color or something. What is your comfort and what does it connect you with that makes the boo-boo feel better? Think about it and let me know. In the meantime, I don't need comfort, but the ketchup is calling!

Wish I'd Thought of That

Do you ever hear of something and in your head you think "That's BRILLIANT! I wish I had thought of that!". Well, reading the paper one day I saw an article that made me slap my head and say it.

William Crozer and his wife, Carrie Mauriello Crozer, started a personal shopping service, buying exclusively at Ikea. As you know, Las Vegas has no Ikea. None. This is a terrible, terrible thing. So the Crozer's will go to So Cal and shop at Ikea for you and bring the stuff back. You look through the Ikea catalog and they do all the hard work. They will even help with delivery and assembly.

Now, I can hear you saying, "But Shae, doesn't Ikea ship?" and the answer is, "Well, yes Loyal Readers, they do." But, and this is where the "Ahhh" moment comes in, Ikea gets to choose the shipping method and pricing. For example, when I moved home, I needed an armoire and I found a beautiful one at Ikea. It was perfect, both functional and attractive. And at only $169, it was also within my budget. So I went online to order it when I noticed that there was no shipping section to tell me how much shipping would be. Because Ikea gets to choose whether they ship UPS or Common Carrier. Now UPS rates are somewhat reasonable but the common carrier rates (and this is what they use for almost all furniture because it weighs more than 70 pounds) is ridiculous. So to ship my $169 armoire was going to cost me $407. That's right, the shipping charges were more than double the cost of the item. Now, to have the Crozer's company (Modern LV) bring it back for me would cost around $50. (For orders from $61-$1500 the shipping charge is 29%). See why they are brilliant?

The other reason why the Crozer's are providing such a valuable service is that not all items that you can buy in store are available for purchase online. For example, I love the swedish meatballs at Ikea. LOVE them. I brought back a bag of the frozen meatballs and several packets of the cream sauce mix. And when I ran out of meatballs, I learned how to make my own and (if I do say so myself) they are even better than Ikea's. (Probably because they are fresh, not frozen.) But I can't get the sauce right, much to my consternation. But Ikea doesn't sell the sauce packets online, only in store. And while I have been known to drive out of my way to pick up an ingredient, four hours is excessive, even for me. But now, I can have the Crozer's pick me up some. Excuse me, while I wipe the tears of joy from my face.

Now, I will say that the Crozer's need some help with their blog (hmm, perhaps a barter system could be worked out for my writing services in exchange for some Graddasas sauce packets?) and I think they really need to get the word out there (hence, this column to benefit both them and you Loyal Readers, especially those of you in Las Vegas with an Ikea need) because their service is sooooo wonderful. They are heading to Ikea next on Monday, January 19th so look at the online catalog and send them your wish list. I am getting some sauce packets, some lingonberries and perhaps some other items (alas, the armoire of my dreams is no longer available). It isn't the same as shopping at Ikea, but it's the next best thing to being there!

Shae's Favorite Things

Oprah does a show several times a year where she talks about her favorite things, and then she gives the items away. This is sort of like that, except y'all have to buy your own. I'd be interested to hear what some of your favorite things are too, so be sure and comment on what's on your list!

1. Skull Candy Earphones - I got these for Christmas, and they are awesome. The sound is amazing but the best part is that they fit my ears. With the earphones that came with my iPod (and ditto for the ones that came with my Zen before it) the earphones would constantly fall out of my ears. Plus the person standing next to me could hear what I was listening too. it was frustrating, especially at the gym, to have them falling out all the time. First one, then I'd get it in okay, then the other would fall out. But Skull Candy comes with three sets of 'cushions' that you can interchange on the earphones so that they fit your ears perfectly. I have petite ears (as opposed to other parts of my not so petite-ness) so I put on the smallest of the cushions and the fit into my ears comfortably and snugly and I don't share my music with the people around me anymore. Terrific.

2. The iPod Touch - For those of you who don't know about the iPhone (due to coma or living under a rock) it's the worlds hottest phone, not for the phone part but for all of the other things it can do. Like surf the Internet, play games, find restaurants, etc. all on a reactive touch screen. Then Apple released the iPod Touch, which has almost all of the capabilities of the iPhone, except the phone part (however, according to sources, with a certain modification and a pair of Apple microphone earphones as well as a Skype application, you can turn your Touch into a cheap iPhone. But you have to be in a wi-fi area.) I hadn't bought an iPod before but after falling in love with my Mac and seeing the capabilities of the Touch, I bought it. I am not a music junkie (although I love my soundtracks and cheesy 80's pop) but since I can use the Touch for Internet access, as a PDA, to play games, movies and TV shows on as well as podcasts, I was sold. Honestly, it's amazing. I can watch a movie while I'm waiting in the doctor's office, check my email or Google something without going to my computer or I can just play some really amazing games. So cool.

3. iTunes Applications - This is a corollary to #2, but it deserved it's own favorite thing mention. With my new iPod I regularly cruise the iTunes store and my favorite section is Apps. Here you can buy games or applications like "Urban Spoon" that helps you choose a restaurant or bridal planning guides, countdown calendars or white noise machines, or even a copy of the Constitution. Most applications are under two dollars, and lots of them are completely free. I am having so much fun, it should be illegal. I can now play Scrabble no matter where I am.

4. Top Chef: New York - I never got into Top Chef before, although I have watched it. But this season, I'm addicted. I think that a lot of the food they make is not something the home chef would try but what has me watching is not the recipes but the personalities and the potential for disaster. Some of challenges are really fun to watch (want to see a Chef go crazy? Give them just a hot plate and a microwave then tell them to make a Thanksgiving dinner. It's like torture for them.) and I love the new judge, Toby Young, they brought in to replace Gail, he's a British food critic and he is BRUTAL. (Please don't eve let anyone compare my soup to a weapon of mass destruction!) I love the hosts, Padma and Tom. (she's an actress and cookbook author who was once married to Salman Rushdie - who was seven years older than her father, eww - and he's the Chef/Restaurateur owner of Craftsteak. My friend Pat got an email from his family after she wrote about the dinner she had at Craftsteak. I'm jealous of the email but what I'm truly envious of is the dinner. Ah, someday, sigh.) And I can't tell who I want to win yet, although my front runners are Leah and Ariane.

5. Simply Lemonade - Tastes just like homemade. Sweet, tart and oh, so refreshing. It's a bit more expensive than concentrate but so worth it. Yum. Find it in the refrigerated juice section of your grocery store.

6. On Demand Viewing - First my DVR made watching television on my schedule easier, then cable's "On Demand" channel let me watch shows and movies whenever I wanted, then I started watching shows on the Internet and now Netflix's "Instant Viewer" is available for Macs so I can watch movies there too. Now this entertainment junkie can get her fix whenever and almost wherever she would like. Life is good.

7. Las Vegas Review-Journal columnists - I'm not much of a newspaper reader, I'm more of a 'get my news from television' kind of girl. But I do like the columns in the R-J from John L. Smith to Jane Ann Morrison. My very favorites are Christopher Lawrence's "Life on the Couch" (TV), Carol Cling's "Shooting Stars" (Movies - no longer available in the actual paper but still available online), Steve Burnfeld's "Mediaology" (Media) and Heidi Knapp Rinella's "Taste of the Town" (Food). The paper keeps getting thinner and thinner, but thanks to these columnists, I still read the news occasionally.

8. Video Games - I never thought of myself as a 'gamer' although in my life I have owned Pong and a Nintendo 64. But with the Wii and my DS, I'm more of a gamer than I ever was. The Wii is awesome for playing with my family and it gets us up and off the couch. We love the interactive sports type games and the Wii fit has actually got us exercising on a regular basis. But I love my little DS for some solo play. I like to pick it up and play crosswords or sudoku puzzles or wordjong. I like puzzle games and the DS has lots of games that appeal to me (a non-gaming adult woman instead of a game addicted teenage boy). And I now play on my Touch as well. Okay, so maybe "Cooking Mama" isn't exactly the gamer experience of "Halo" or some other kill/shoot/war game, but it's keeping me entertained.

9. Sitcoms - During tough times, I like to laugh, and I don't think I'm alone. Laughter really is the best medicine, it brings your blood pressure down, oxygenates your blood, reduces stress hormones that can be harmful and well, it's fun. During this rough time, economically and politically, I think we need to laugh more than ever. From Charlie Chaplin during the Great Depression to the variety shows of the turbulent 60's and the sitcoms of the late 70's/early 80's, we love to laugh during a crisis. So thank goodness for shows like "The Big Bang Theory", "Two and a Half Men" (Bless you Chuck Lorre, you've had my undying devotion forever) "How I Met Your Mother", "30 Rock" and "The Office". Even "My Name is Earl" is back from last year's slump (okay, the whole 'Earl in jail' story arc sucked) and now Earl is as funny as ever. Bring on the laughs, I say.

10. Mirin Glazed Salmon - Have you ever just hit on the perfect recipe? One that was easy to make AND really delicious? Well, I found one for salmon that has me throwing away any other salmon recipe. From Nigella Lawson, this recipe is the ultimate. It's good hot or if you have some leftover (not gonna happen, but I suppose you can make extra) it's equally delicious cold. It makes the most of salmon's rich flavor and complements it perfectly. It's so yummy, you just have to try it yourself.

Miring Glazed Salmon
1/4 c. mirin (Japanese sweet rice cooking seasoning - some people say rice wine but the bottle I have doesn't have any alcohol in it. Buy it in the Asian section of your supermarket.)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce

Combine these in a shallow dish, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Put four (4oz) salmon fillets into the sauce. Marinate, turning over once. (Nigella says to marinate only 5 minutes but I like it marinated for about 30 minutes.) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat and put salmon in (reserving marinade), cooking for 4 minutes. Turn salmon over, add marinade to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes longer. Remove salmon and add 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar to pan, stirring to incorporate, about 2 minutes. Pour over salmon and garnish with chopped green onions.

Yup, that's it. So simple and so delicious. I have made this for a whole bunch of different people and they all love it. Salmon has all those lovely Omega-3's that we are supposed to get so much of, so this dish is healthy too, and there are so few dishes that taste so good AND are good for me. Oh, and did I mention it's only 200 calories. I've died and gone to heaven!

Okay, there is my first favorite things list. I hope you discover a new favorite too. And please, share your list with me, I'd love to discover some new treasures!

I Can't Wait For a Bad Movie

Anyone who knows me knows I love good films. Love them. See them every chance I get. I go to film festivals every chance I get, hoping to discover great films early on. (See gems like "Once", "Introducing the Dwights", "Reprise" or "Neo Ned" for some great examples. All are available on video except "Neo Ned", which you can watch on Netflix's instant viewer. Seriously, see these films.)

I also love "inside jokes." One of my favorite experiences combined the two, in the movie "The Aristocrats". It's a documentary by comedians Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller fame) who got more than a hundred comics to tell the same 'insider' dirty joke. The movie is hysterical (although for the faint of heart, it does contain lots of scatological humor.) I saw this movie when it premiered at Sundance (one of the best movie experiences of my life, I sat next to Leah Rozen, the film critic for People magazine, and I picked her brain) and again when it premiered at CineVegas and thanks to P&T's wonderful publicist/exec Glenn S. Alai, who is a close friend..okay, so he's Tina's close friend which makes him my close friend once removed, got to sit in the VIP section with the likes of legendary comics like Phyllis Diller. I saw the movie several more times at the theater and own it on DVD, not to mention watching it numerous times on cable. I would have loved this film even without the glitz and glamour because as a comic I loved the 'inside joke'.

Now, as much as I love good movies, I like bad ones too. Really bad ones. Not the ones you watch and wish you had those two hours of you life back because the film had no redeeming qualities, but the ones that are so bad that they are kinda good. Of course, that's a quality that is in the eye of the beholder. I love a cheesy 1980's disco film called "Can't Stop the Music" which was terrible but starred the Village People and how can you not love a Village People movie where they sing YMCA in a YMCA with semi naked men around them. It's brilliant and I watched that movie dozens of times when I was a kid, dancing in the living room to the songs (I clearly didn't understand the homoerotic undertone until I was an adult but I still think it has a good beat and I'd dance to it.) One of the reasons I still like this film is that once you get the nuance and understand the background of the Village People (and yes, their sexual persuasion) you get that it was a huge inside joke. (Unfortunately, it took some time for people to appreciate the joke, and it killed Nancy Walker's directing career.) Plus it has the added bonus of a young Steve Guttenberg on roller skates, how much more could you ask for?



So when I read an article in Entertainment Weekly (I check it out at the library, it's a guilty pleasure) about the comedic cult following for a movie called "The Room" (you can read the article here) I wanted to see it. Now. But going to LA for a midnight showing isn't exactly feasible (although I'm up for a road trip if anyone else is game and I love the Laemmle Sunset 5 theater, it's right by the Laugh Factory). But I need to see this film. Apparently it's "Rocky Horror" meets horrible acting, terrible directing and awful writing. Woo Hoo. I am so there. It has garnered the attention of people like Rob Thomas, Paul Rudd, Kristen Bel and David Cross. When people like that, who's talent I respect and admire, tell you a movie is so bad it changed their lives, well that's a movie I need to see. I need to get the 'inside joke' too.

Okay, since I can't go to LA (seriously, road trip anyone? anyone?) I ordered the movie on Amazon. Less than nine dollars and free shipping. It was out of stock but I got an email last night that they got a copy and are shipping it to me this week. I can't wait. This movie has already inspired me, sight unseen, to write my next film. I'm going to have parties showing this film if it truly is what they say it is. I'm stocking up on plastic spoons as we speak. So, wanna come to my house and watch a bad movie? (And to cleanse ourselves, we can watch a good film afterwards.)

We're Here For Your Liver

In the ultimate example of Indian-giving, read this story.

"Richard Batista from Long Island in New York, says he wants the organ back or $1.5 million dollars. The surgeon gave his wife Dawnell the kidney in 2001 after two previous failed transplants.

Dr. Batista told the New York Daily News there is "no value you can put on an organ when it saves some one's life. There is no greater feeling on this planet."

He says he is only suing Dawnell to get her to act reasonably in the divorce case, claiming she is restricting access to their children, aged eight, 11 and 14.

Their relationship had been suffering due to the strain of his wife's medical issues, said Dr. Batista. "My first priority was to save her life," he said. "The second bonus was to turn the marriage around." But it did not work and four years later she filed for divorce.

Arthur Caplan from the University of Pennsylvania's Centre for Bioethics said the likelihood of Dr. Batista getting either his kidney or the money was "somewhere between impossible and completely impossible".

Medical ethicist Robert Veatch from Georgetown University said it was illegal for an organ to be exchanged for anything of value. Organ donation is a gift which means you cannot legally get it back, he explained. "It's her kidney now and taking the kidney out would mean she would have to go on dialysis or it would kill her," Mr Veatch said. He insisted no reputable surgeon would perform such a procedure and no court could compel someone to undergo an operation."

By the way, I meant no disrespect to Native Americans in the use of the phrase "Indian-giving". As someone of Native American heritage herself, I have only the utmost respect for indigenous peoples. In fact, I say that we change not the phrase but the meaning to be "when the American government gave stuff to the Native people then took it all back". Still fits pretty well, don't you think?

Meanwhile, Dr. Batista is an ass. Sure, he only wants publicity, but is this really how you want to see your doctor, as a petty jerk? No, she should not be trying to keep him from seeing his kids (if that's what she's doing, I only know that's what he alleges) but he has legal recourse for those actions, not this childish statement.

I believe in organ donation. Maybe Dr. Batista just needs a head transplant.

The Doctor is (Not) In

Paging Dr. Shae, Paging Dr. Shae...that's something you'll never hear, and that's a good thing.

I have been experiencing some pain in the muscle in my left arm and through exhaustive research (several minutes on WebMD) I diagnosed myself with tendinitis. I like to sleep on my side with my arms twisted at awkward angles (which usually results in an arm going numb.) That, combined with the daily heavy Graminator lifting, made the tendons in my arm sore. Now the treatment is fairly simple, rest it (stop sleeping that way, stupid), ice (which is cold and it's winter so that was so unappealing), compression and elevation (yup, the standard RICE therapy) along with ibuprofen. Since I didn't like the R-I-E portion, Dr. Shae decided to go just with compression.

So I toddle off to the drug store and buy several things designed to constrain my arm muscles. I wore one all day and it was fine. Then for night I put on this elaborate one, with gel pads for the 'pain' points and stuff. I put it on and compress it did. It was snug and held my arm in such a way that I couldn't sleep with it under my head, unless I suddenly grew the powers of a Chinese contortionist. Good, right? Then after a while it started to feel too tight. But compression is good, right, I mean, it's supposed to be tight. Then I started to lose sensation in my fingers and decided to take it off. I don't know if I had the gel pads in the wrong spots or I had just strapped it too tight or if it was the wrong bandage all together but when I took it off my arm hurt worse than ever. Like it felt bruised and battered. So I got the normal Ace bandage I had been using and wrapped my arm and went to bed.

I woke up yesterday and noticed that my arm was hurting and felt funny. I went to the bathroom and when I turned the light on I looked down at my arm to see it had swollen to ENORMOUS proportions. ACK!!! I quickly took some Motrin and grabbed an ice pack and elevated my arm to see if the swelling would come down. It did, after a few hours and I could see the knuckles in my hand again. It was sore and painful but the weird part is that the original pain is gone, this is a new pain in a different part of my arm. (Yes, it's the old joke of my arm hurts so kick me in the shin to feel better.) I spent the day resting it and icing it (I still had to lift The Graminator, but I did it as gingerly as possible). And last night I slept with it elevated and not contorted underneath me. Today it's still sore, but better and no gigantic swelling.

The moral of my story? Do not assume that you went to medical school just because you can read it on the Internet. There is a reason that doctors go to school for seven years before they start to practice. If all it took was the ability to read the Internet then any twelve year old with a MacBook would be a doctor. Does this mean that I went to a real doctor? Heck no. But I would have if the swelling hadn't come down. That's all I'm saying, seek appropriate medical attention. Now I gotta go take two Motrin and call myself in the morning.

You Say You Want A Resolution

Okay, so it took a while for me to come up with my New Year's Resolutions, but they aren't something you want to rush into all willy-nilly and then break right away. I did really well with last year's resolutions, all except for the one with the radioactive spider, but I only said I would try, "if possible", on that one. (For last year's list, see here)

So what will I tackle this year? I was so giving last year that I feel entitled to be a bit selfish this year. So, in the interest of personal growth and change, here is this year's list.

1. I will lose twenty pounds by Will and Val's wedding. (It may require amputation of a major limb, but hopefully I can stand in such a way in the wedding photographs that it's not too noticeable.)

2. I will think about writing my own self help book that embodies a philosophy I have been working on for a while. It combines "The Secret" with feng shui, aromatherapy and yoga. I don't want to give it all away, but it involves you imagining yourself getting everything you want while you stand in the "tree" yoga position in a room with Eastward facing windows while lavender scented candles burn. (Tell me that's not a best-seller!)

3. I will find a hairdresser who will actually style my hair in such away that I don't go back to a ponytail within 72 hours. (Please, please, please.)

4. I will only eat organically grown, locally farmed, non-genetically modified, free-range, high fructose corn syrup free foods. (For at last one meal on the fourth Thursday of every month without an 'r' in it.)

5. I will wash my car at least twice a year. (Providing the weather is nice and the water police aren't watching.)

Okay, so those weren't exactly the resolutions most people have. Here is my real desire list,

1. Eat healthier, eat less, exercise more.
2. Moisturize more.
3. Finish the three writing projects I started last year.
4. Sell "Vegas Schmegas".
5. Complete the script Kelly and I are collaborating on.
6. Promote myself more, like by getting an agent or through self promotion.
7. Manage what little money I have so I can stay on sabbatical through 2009.
8. Worry less and enjoy more.
9. Be more patient.
10. Get "The Sunday Box" filmed and on the festival circuit.

That list is going to take a lot more work than the first one. Guess I better get started, huh?

Things I Learned In 2008

In 2008 I learned...

That my family supports me, no matter what. And because of their faith in me, I want to succeed for them.

That I can do things I never thought I was capable of, like taking care of the bodily functions of another human. I guess I would have made an okay mom after all.

That you can make friends with people you have never met and have them become a very important part of your life. (Thank you from the bottom of my heart Maura and Dyann)

That the best laid plans can change, no matter what you think.

That when you do something that you love, it isn't work. (And when it isn't work you have to make it a priority because no one else will.)

That money is nice but not having it isn't that big a deal.

That you can only guarantee the weather in Las Vegas in the middle of summer, when it's a bazillion degrees outside. (So learn to write things indoors!)

That if you write it, they will read. (Thanks Loyal Readers!)

What did you learn this year? Were they the lessons you thought they would be? Tomorrow are my resolutions, so until then, Happy New Year!

2008: The Year In Review

Okay, tomorrow begins 2009 and I'll post my resolutions tomorrow. But today, let's see what happened to me in 2008.

January- I miss the Sundance Film Festival for the first time in years due to financial issues. (Had plans to make it up in 2009 but that doesn't look good right now). On January 18 I give notice at my job and begin a month long crying streak.

February - Last day of work at Alverson, Taylor, Mortensen and Sanders, just three days shy of my seven year anniversary. Very bittersweet, the most poignant part is knowing that they will all get along without me and forget me very soon, which they all promise not to, but they do as evidenced by the fact that no one has ever called me (although a few have sent emails.) I console myself with tons of marked down Valentine's candy.

March - Plant a garden then head to Alamogordo, New Mexico to work for a government contractor friend at Holloman Air Force base. A one week trip lasts almost a month. Still, I loved living in the mountains, spending time with "My Bill" and Blue Bell ice cream. But it was really hard to be away from my family for so long. "My Bill" is back in Las Vegas and it makes me happy.

April - I return home and then promptly quit the new job, because the "only 10 hours a week and you can work from home" is in reality about 60 hours a week at the office. But I am back with my loving family and only gained one pound eating all that ice cream and green chile cheeseburgers.

May - Get some vicious strain of an obviously terrorist-made cold/flu/sinus infection and am sick for nearly three weeks. Like really sick. Like my mom is going to kick me to the curb if she hears me whine any more. In further proof of her sainthood, she does not kick me to the curb. First table read of "Vegas Schmegas".

June - Film the faux trailer for "Brick Morgan". Write the short film "The Sunday Box" (which is set to film in 2009, starring the wonderful John Baniqued, for a festival release). Watch Pax while Will and Val vacation in Wisconsin, the vacation destination of America.

July - Watch Abbey Schwarze, dog extrodinare of Kelly and Charisma Schwarze. Possible career as dogsitter in the future apparently. Second table read of "Vegas Schmegas", which gives me goose bumps because it's so good.

August - The Graminator falls and breaks her pubic bone. After three weeks of hospitals and rehab facilities, we get her home, but with pneumonia, a massive bed sore and having lost over 8 pounds. With home care, physical therapy and me stuffing food down her gullet, she makes a fairly good recovery, but the lasting impact on her mentally and physically necessitates my becoming her full time nurse/therapist/caregiver. It's a labor of love that has changed my life forever. In other news, we are adopted by a cat who took up residence in my garden. After a month of trying to find her another home, we let her into ours, where she promptly takes charge and becomes the fattest, laziest cat in the world. She only drinks out of a human glass.

September - "Brick Morgan" premieres. Mom celebrates her 60th birthday with a bash attended by her entire family. Much champagne is consumed and The Graminator begins walking again. The highlight of my birthday is getting highlights in my hair. Too Blonde. The economy is in terrible shape, with the stock market going up and down faster than a carousel on crack. In assessing our financial situation, I realize we aren't doing too bad since I'm already unemployed and due to the economy the day-old bread store my mom works at is doing well. My mom is truly the 'bread-winner' of the family, since one of the perks if her job is free bread.

October - The return to comedy for "Shae Denin". It feels good to be back on stage after a long absence. I am asked to be Maid of Honor at Will and Val's wedding. This starts a diet that results in a loss of 8 pounds. I don't gain any back over the holidays. In fact, I lose one more. But January will see the return of the diet and exercise regimen. In politics, the ads get so frequent and so negative that I swear I will turn the television off. (This doesn't actually happen.)

November - The busiest month of the year, with three weeks of filming of "Vegas Schmegas". The shoot is a great success, although supplemental filming will take place in 2009. I debut my role as a dominatrix, and consider it for a new career should the economy fail to recover. I also take part for the first time in National Novel Writing Month, an endeavor to complete a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. I complete the novel by November 30th. In other historic news, Barack Obama is elected the first "black" president of the United States. (I put black in quotes because he is also white but everyone ignores that.)

December - I burn the NaNoWriMo novel, as it is terrible, although possibly not as bad as some published novels I have read over the years. We get a new fridge and washer and begin the process of bringing the house into the 21st century. Christmas is celebrated with friends and family, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Which brings us to...

Today. I hope your New Years Eve is safe and fun. And I hope your 2009 is bright and wonderful and the fulfillment of many of your dreams. I know mine will be.

Dear Diary, I Saw the Cutest Boy Today

Okay, I have a new crush. He's a lot younger than I am (He's 25, I'm 36, does that make me a cougar?) but he's so cute I just don't care that I could have babysat for him. He's got dark curly hair, dreamy eyes, a chiseled jaw and that wonderfully masculine five o'clock shadow. Gosh I like men who can be really clean cut looking and still have that bad boy thing going when they want. In fact, he falls right in line with my previous crushes, John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Ben Affleck (I guess you can tell my 'type', huh?) I don't know if he's as smart or talented as my previous imaginary boyfriends (no, I'm not delusional or a psychotic stalker, but a girl can fantasize, can't she?) but I'm purely interested in his looks anyway.

Who is my new fantasy man? Brody Jenner, the living example that pairing two genetically gifted individuals can produce a genetically gifted offspring. He's the son of Olympian Bruce Jenner (now the second banana on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians") and Linda Thompson (Former 'Hee Haw Honey' and once girlfriend of The King, Elvis Presley). I have no idea what he does except look good. Apparently he was on "The Hills", a show on MTV, but I stopped watching MTV years ago when they stopped being about music. He has some new show called "Bromance" but I don't even want to know what it's about. I just want to stare at his picture.

How did I discover this piece of prime man meat? The Internet, of course. You know when you click on a story and that leads you to another story and so on and so on. Well, that's how I stumbled across a photo of this gorgeous man. (I use the term loosely because as a 25-year-old party boy with an MTV reality show, I'm pretty sure he's not in any way mature yet.) He's my new eye candy.

As a belated Christmas gift for you ladies out there (or even you 'bromance' leaning gentlemen), here is a picture of beautiful Brody. Enjoy.

Merry Christmas, Officer (The Christmas Recap)

Here is my holiday recap, complete with visit from the police. Yes, the police. And no, my family isn't usually the kind that appears on a special holiday episode of "COPS".

Christmas Eve - Made a huge smorgasbord of appetizers. Huge. Way to much food. I admit it, I have a tendency to go overboard. And what's really bad is that before I say the food splayed across the table and kitchen counter, I was worried that I didn't have enough. We had mini cheeseburgers, mini meatball subs, seven layer dip, hot artichoke dip, pizza, boneless buffalo wings and deviled eggs with Christmas cookies and hot mini jelly doughnuts for dessert. And that was because the salami and cheese and cracker tray got put back in the fridge (not to fear, it got eaten on Christmas day.) It was a lot of food. Lots of mini food. Whoever invented the mini food was an evil genius. It's fun to eat and because it's so small you eat like a half dozen mini burgers without guilt because they are so small, only to find yourself enormously stuffed.

We also played the new Wii game I got for the family. "Raving Rabbids TV Party". What a fun and interactive game. It involves these insane bunnies who take over your television. They have these weird television show spoofs that turn into games you play with the Wii-mote, the nunchuck and the Wii Fit balance board. There are more than 65 different games but we only played a small portion of them. One game you had to sit on the balance board and use the wii-mote and nunchuck to mimic riding a motorcycle (steering with your butt) and one game that you had to dance to the Wham! song "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (I won that one due to my 80's song experience and impressive dancing skills.) Some of the games frustrated my mom but we were all just learning the rules. Val ended up winning by one point over me at the last minute even though my brother had been in the lead most of the game. All in all it was a great game for any time you want to move, laugh and scratch your head.

After Will and Val left my mom and I wrapped presents and listened to Christmas carols. We were up till almost midnight. Long day.

Christmas Day - I scheduled dinner for 4pm so that we had a leisurely day. I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. After a leisurely morning we got the table set for diner and I put the prime rib in the oven at around 12:30. After failing several times at prime rib to get it cooked to make everyone happy (2 people like it rare, 5 people like it medium well - don't yell at me that that's too overcooked, it's the way they like it and it was still delicious) I finally figured out how to please everyone...2 prime ribs, a small two pound cut for the rare ones, put in an hour before the large six pounder was done. It was rubbed with a salt/pepper/rosemary/thyme/Worcestershire rub then slow roasted. I had made the beets and cooked the carrots the day before and with Will and Val bringing the mashed potatoes, my prep was pretty simple. I made the Yorkshire pudding batter then sat back to relax until the roast came out and I glazed the carrots, heated the beets, roasted the asparagus and baked the Yorkshire pudding. Most of the cooking was accomplished in under thirty minutes which left plenty of time for PRESENTS!

Everyone got a crisp $50 bill from my Uncle and Roberta. Mine will go to buying a bottle of cologne I have my eye on. ("Fresh: Sugar Lemon" in case you care.) The Graminator got a purse, scarf and a ton of Kleenex (inside joke) from Will and Val, a new nightgown from my mom and a puzzle, bath products and a foot warmer from me. Mom got a gift card (for buying a dress for the wedding) and scarf from Will and Val and Gram and I got her new outdoor light fixture for the front of the house and I got her a broom vac for cleaning up the cat litter that the cat scatters daily without having to lug out the big vacuum. Val got the jewelry box she asked for from my mom and me, plus a heated throw to snuggle under from mom and a new DS game and funnel cake maker from me. Will got her a box of socks (inside joke from how he proposed to her last Christmas) and Gram got her a calendar. Will got a new stockpot (an pasta, olive oil and Italian seasoning) from mom and me, plus a new Wii game from me and Wii zapper from mom. I also got him the new Dennis Leary book and Val got him a book too. (If it seems like Will and Val didn't get each other much, remember that they are now headed to Modesto to celebrate Christmas a second time with her family so they had to split the presents up.) We gave Roberta a 'cozy kit' with a snuggly blanket, Audrey Hepburn movies, book, tea and new slippers. Will and Val got her a scarf and hair ties and a gift card to Teavana. Stuart got a bottle of Sake from Will and Val and a coffee table book on antique guitars from Mom, The Graminator and me. I also got him some tea and the worlds largest tea infuser (a joke since he said he uses 11 tea bags each morning.)

The funniest present moment was when my dog found her present from Will and Val. It was a box of gourmet dog cookies but on top was a tiny stuffed toy. She took the present off the stack and dragged the box along the floor, carrying the little stuffed toy in her mouth. The box of treats was almost a big as she was and it was hysterical to see her drag it across the room.

Now me. I got a set of Skull Candy earphones for my iPod and $40 from Will and Val to use for apps for my touch. Mom got me a clock radio/dock for my iPod and two new games for my DS along with a new stylus. If my presents make me sound like I'm a college age boy instead of a 36 year old woman, well, I like my toys, that's all I can say.

After presents I went to the the prime rib(s) out of the oven and start the Yorkshire pudding. My brother came in and helped me glaze the carrots when we heard someone bang loudly on the door. I peeked through the kitchen curtains to see a couple of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers on our front porch. We held the dogs back while my brother answered the door. It seems that there was a 911 call that disconnected from our house. It seems that the weather (it was pouring rain and the wind was howling) had knocked our phone out and in older neighborhoods like ours that sends a 911 signal out. When the operator couldn't call the number back they send a unit out to investigate. I checked the phone and sure enough, it was all crackly and had no dial tone. The officer said that it happens occasionally but he asked if he could come inside and check just to make sure everything was alright. Of course we let him in and he could see that we were just enjoying a family holiday. We tried to offer him some food for his trouble but he said they had to go check some other houses. God Bless the police officers who give up their holidays to make sure the rest of ours are safe. And it certainly added a memorable moment to our celebration. We never would have known about the phone otherwise because just a little while later when the rain and wind stopped, the phone rang with holiday greetings from our friend Brigeda.

After digesting a while it was time for dessert. The chocolate fudge cheesecake was delicious as was the apple crumb pie that Will and Val bought. My brother was complaining of sugar shock when he was done but it was still yummy. Here is a picture of the cheesecake. The 'poinsettia' decoration on top is made out of gum, can you believe it? Wish I could say I though of it but I saw it in a magazine. It's so cute!

Will and Val are now on their way to Modesto while they left Pax with us for the week. It was an awesome Christmas, although there is a huge pile of dishes in the sink that my mom and I just couldn't face last night. Hmm, maybe next year I should ask Santa for a dishwasher. But we have a new fridge full of leftovers and I have some new games to play and music to listen to. I hope that you all had as wonderful a Christmas as I did. Happy Holidays, Loyal Readers!

Merry Christmas!

I want to take this time to wish a Merry Christmas to all of you, Loyal Readers. I hope your holiday is filled with food, family and fun. (And I hope Santa brings you everything you asked for!) And for those Loyal Readers of the Jewish religion, Happy Hannukah!

The Final Push to Christmas

Okay, it's only four days to Christmas. Are you done with your shopping yet? Yeah, well, I hate you. No, not really, I love you Loyal Readers, but people who are done with their Christmas shopping in November, well, you bug me. How can you do that? The people I love are really hard to buy for and they never tell you what they want and AUGHHHHHH!

I'm really not that far behind. Except for a few little 'gag' presents, I'm done with everyone except The Graminator. What do you buy someone who doesn't need anything? She has been really tough to think of things for. Honestly, if she needs something I just go buy it. What's worse is that her birthday is in January and I'm going to go through this agony again in a few weeks.

This week the push is for the cooking. I'm making an appetizer buffet for Christmas eve and a big dinner for Christmas day. I'm thinking for the appetizer assortment I'll make sliders, deviled eggs, seven layer dip, buffalo chicken, and a couple of other things TBD. For Christmas dinner I'm making prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, roasted asparagus, Harvard beets, balsamic glazed carrots (with Will and Val putting in their famous garlic mashed potatoes) and for dessert, a chocolate fudge cheesecake, plus Will and Val are bringing an apple pie. Top it off with the loads of champagne that my Uncle Stuart brings. Sounds good, right? But I have to go to the store and buy all the stuff, prep it, cook, it, serve it, clean up after it. Ugh, I'm exhausted already and I haven't wrapped the presents, washed the good china or mopped the floors yet! Plus, at some point, the Graminator needs to be hosed down. Okay, maybe I need another week to get ready. Is this December 25th thing set in stone?

Now I need to go sort through my recipes and make some lists, check them twice, and get my butt in gear. Hope your day is a little more relaxed than mine!

Somebody Up There Is Messing With Me!

Okay, yesterday it started to snow. And stick! I got so excited. I called my mom. I called Val. I called Will. The news reported that we would get six to ten inches. I went outside and played, catching flakes on my tongue. And then...nothing. In a strange turn of events (one that even the weather forecasters were hard pressed to explain) the North and West sides of town warmed up (after dark?) and it turned to rain. So while the South and East sides of town got three or more inches of snow (and Boulder City got eight inches!) my house got NONE. Zip. Zilch.

Now usually the North and West, because they are higher in elevation, get the most snow. But not this time. There was enough snow that roads in and out of Las Vegas were closed. The airport was closed (The FAA said it was due to visibility). Officially they recorded 3.6 inches of snow. Pictures from the South end of the valley show a snow covered winter wonderland. But at my house it's just wet. No snow. I had flakes over maybe a quarter of my yard for about two hours. The weather man says they experienced 'cold-hugging' on the South side which is why they got all the snow. Well I would have gladly hugged the cold. They cancelled school for the first time since the 1979 storm, even though my neighborhood is clear. I think they just wanted to have an extra Christmas shopping day, but good for Val. And my brother gets to go to work late, due to icy road conditions near where he works.

Look, I'm not begrudging anyone their snow. But couldn't they share? I could have used an inch. I even went to bed last night praying that over night we would get a little. But I woke up to what little snow we had gone, already melted. Is Mother Nature just laughing at me? I'm sad.

I made the best of it. I played outside while it snowed. But I would have liked a little more. Still, we got a snow storm. It just missed my house.

Here are the pictures of the pathetic snow at my house. Hey, it stuck to the ground. I'll be okay with that but I wish I could have made a snowman. Instead I made an ice cube.

Things I Love About Christmas

These are the things I love about Christmas (but some of them could apply to Hannukah too, I suppose.) I'm making schnitzel with noodles tonight (because below is a list of my favorite things...and because I bought a pork tenderloin that I have to do something with!)

10. Egg Nog (Homemade is good but store bought is really tasty too.)
9. Wrapping stuff (I loved my first job as a gift wrapper at a department store.)
8. Christmas lights (They are so pretty and festive.)
7. Holiday movies (Duh.)
6. Little kids sitting on Santa's lap (I have truly fond memories of Santa's arrival.)
5. Candy canes (Delicious fun. Remember sucking the ends to a point like little peppermint shiv?)
4. Presents (okay, I'll admit it, I like presents, does that make me greedy?)
3. Peppermint ice cream (It's so good, how come you can only buy it during the holidays?)
2. Christmas carols (Oh, how I love to sing along. Anyone want to go caroling? )

and the number one thing I love about Christmas is

1. Spending time focused on my friends and family.

So thank you Loyal Readers for being part of what I love most this holiday season.

Winter Wonder? Land

Okay, so I didn't get my blanket of snow. But I did get a few flakes. In some areas of Las Vegas they even got some to stick to the ground. (For those who don't know, Las Vegas is shaped like a big bowl, with mountains around the outside and the area where the Strip is kind of at the bottom of the bowl. So the areas of town have different elevations and therefore different temperatures by a few degrees. Where I live is about 2,500 feet in elevation. The snow level was supposed to go to 2,000 feet, which would have covered most of the valley. But it only went to about 2,800 feet. Okay, geography lesson over.)

Still, even without the white stuff sticking around for more that ten seconds, I made the best of my day. I opened the curtains wide (which made my 45 year old house very cold but I had my slippers on) and laid on the couch under The Graminator's heated throw with a book and a cup of tea and watched the snowflakes fall for a little over an hour. And of course I went outside a couple of times to catch a snowflake or two. (Yes, I know it's childish but I've come to the realization that while I can present the persona of a well adjusted, intelligent adult woman, inside I'm about ten years old, especially when it comes to precipitation and Disneyland.) We had chili for dinner and I made gingerbread and hot chocolate for dessert. The snow did make me appreciate my "work at home" status since I didn't really work but played hooky on my couch.

I think I have been a writer since I was a very young child. I used to make up scenarios in my head and play them out. Like I used to walk to my friend Marcy's house which meant crossing the schoolyard of our elementary school that stood between her house and mine. I would imagine that I was a young Jewish girl posing as a Dutch milkmaid and I had to pass the German SS troops to sell my milk and not let them discover that I was a Jew and have them send me to the concentration camps. (I was 8 years old at the time.) And ever since childhood I want certain 'scenes' to play out as they have been 'written' in my head. Like, on a snow day the snow should be several inches thick, and there should be a stew bubbling on the stove and home made bread baking in the oven, the rich yeasty smell filling the house and I should be wearing my hair in a bun with loose tendrils framing my face and a lovely beige knit outfit toped by a long, loose gray cable knit cardigan. Instead I has wearing sweat pants and a gray long sleeved t-shirt that I found in the maternity section of Ross (even though I've never been pregnant, it's a very roomy shirt) with my hair in a sloppy pony tail reheating leftover chili in the microwave. Life is certainly much prettier in my mind. (And if you think my snow day scenario is elaborate, you should hear my "walking along a secluded coastal beach" scenario. It involves me having naturally curly hair.)

So I will enjoy this cold snap (more rain predicted tomorrow, I can only hope that the predictions change and it's colder than anticipated so we get some real snow, but I'm not holding my breath) and if it doesn't turn out the way I want, well the fantasy land in my head was probably better anyway.

No Snow for Shae

Well, it was supposed to snow last night, a one inch blanket to cover the entire Las Vegas valley. But when I woke (at six a.m. to see the snow because it was supposed to start snowing at 4 a.m.) there was nothing. Squat. Nada. Bupkiss. (Pause for long dramatic sigh.) So once again my dreams for snow are dashed.

I've never had a white Christmas. Or anything other that a pretty sunny Christmas, usually with highs near the 60's. It's sad. I hope, I pray, I wish, but it never happens. So when they predicted this storm I let myself get a little excited. Only to be disappointed.



Yes, Virginia, it does actually snow in Las Vegas. Sometimes a lot, although most of the time it's gone in a matter of hours. But it does happen, once every few years.


I love the show. I know, that's because I have never had to live in it. My mom says if I lived somewhere it snowed and didn't melt away quickly that I'd hate it because is isn't so pretty when It's been around a while. And I hat the thought of digging my car out of the snow. But I love snow anyway. It reminds me of wonderful things, like my dad waking me in the middle of the night because it was snowing and he wanted me to see it. Like going to Mt. Charleston, loaded with hot chocolate, so my brother and I could play in the snow and making snow ice cream, which I thought was the most delicious ice cream I had ever eaten. My mom, making my brother and I walk to the McDonald's during a snowstorm so that we could get hot chocolate and watch the snow (my mom LOVES to watch the snow, she hates being in the snow.) Making tiny little snowmen (because there wasn't enough snow to make a big one and it melts too fast anyway.) I love those memories because they remind me of love and family. Snow makes me happy.



There have even been some big snowstorms (at least by my standards). January 4-5, 1974 it snowed 9 inches. My dad used to tell me that the snow was as big as my head (I don't remember as I was a toddler at the time but it sounds like an enormous amount of snow. I do remember the storm of 1979, as it was the only snow day in CCSD history. No school and we got to play in the snow. I was in second grade and it was a momentous day. It was like a blizzard and the city practically shut down. (No wonder, we just aren't equipped to handle snow.) It snowed more than seven inches over three days and I thought it was a miracle.

There has been snow a few times in the past years but nothing like what I want. I would love a ton of snow. It wold make everyone have to stop and breathe a moment, which is something we sorely need during this tough economy and hectic holiday frenzy. To stop and look at the miracle of nature, rare and fleeting.


I wish we had snow. I wish for a white Christmas, just once in my life. The pictures are from Sundance, Utah, the only place I get to see snow regularly. Isn't it lovely?





Still, I suppose it could be worse. Here is what Christmas is like in Hermosa Beach where my Uncle Stuart lives. (That's Roberta with the surfing Santa.)




UPDATE: Okay, it's technically snowing. But is isn't sticking. So it doesn't count.

Favorite Christmas Films

Since I told you how much I love Christmas movies, here is my list of favorites (in no particular order, since that would be like picking a favorite child.)

A House Without a Christmas Tree (yay Maura for remembering this one too!) - 1972, Jason Robards as a grumpy widower who learns the value of Christmas from his daughter.
Borrowed Hearts - 1997, Eric McCormack and Roma Downey as a single mom and wealthy guy who pretend to be married so he can sell his company. It has Hector Elizondo. I love Hector.
Christmas Comes to Willow Creek - 1987, The Dukes of Hazard (okay, just the actors from) save a small town's Christmas
The Santa Clause 2 - 2002 Tim Allen in the 'romantic' one of the trilogy. Directed by Michael Lembeck. Anyone besides me remember when he was on "One Day at a Time"?
Miracle on 34th Street - 1947, the classic with Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle and Natalie Wood. Love it.
Home Alone - 1990, Worth it just to see the house Macauly Culkin lives in. Beautiful. I want to live there. And it has John Candy too.
A Christmas Story-1983, I saw this in the theater when I was a kid. I still shudder when the kid sticks his tongue to the flagpole.
Comfort & Joy - 2003, Nancy McKeon as a career woman who hits her head and wakes up the mother of two. Scary stuff. But the guy who plays her husband is adorable.
Love, Actually - 2003, I love this film anytime of the year. I showed it to my mom for the first time this year and she cried. Great movie. Love the character of "Colin Frizzle". And of course, Colin Firth is in it, so it's an automatic win.
A Boyfriend for Christmas - 2004, The title says it all. Wish someone would get me a boyfriend for Christmas. (hint, hint)
Elf - 2003, Will Farrell at his best. Bob Newhart...need I say more?

Okay, those are my favorites. But don't forget the Christmas specials too, like the classic Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated ones like "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" (my favorite, with the Burgermeister Meisterburgerer) and "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and of course, "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Oh, and the Christmas TV episodes, like the one on "Family Ties" where Alex P. Keaton gets the Scrooge lesson and buys his family presents at the 7-11. (You can catch the episode on Fancast.)

What are your favorites? I hope they bring back wonderful holiday memories like this list did for me!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

It's now December and one of my favorite times of the year. Why? Happiness and food (and sometimes, for me anyway, happiness=food). It's time for Peace on Earth, goodwill to men and Christmas movies galore.

It hasn't really felt like Christmas this year and I think it's because I'm not working at ATM&S. December was always the busiest month, with decorating the office, choosing a family to donate food and presents (then buying, wrapping and delivering said items), planning and executing the annual Christmas party (which involved buying seventy gifts and then figuring out a unique way of handing them out, like last year when we put the present names inside the shells of walnuts that I painstakingly cracked open then Jamie glued them closed again) not to mention that after the warm glow of Christmas had barely faded, it was time to get the year end accounting done (which was a pain in the butt that fell mostly to Jamie, although I tried to help her as much as I could). But with all that planning and giving it really seemed like the holidays, which seems to be lacking this year.

Decorating for the holidays isn't really feasible this year, it would be too hard for The Graminator to get around. So we have a beautiful wreath on the door (thanks to Val and one of her students who was selling them for a fundraiser) and a poinsettia with some candles around it inside along with a couple of holiday-theme throw pillows I made years ago for my mom. you have to look closely to see any touches of Christmas in our house. No tree or lights, it's kind of dull. And I haven't shopped for presents yet, heck, I'm still not sure what to even buy yet.

But I have been watching my Christmas movies. Lifetime, Hallmark Channel and ABC family are all running tons of holiday movies. And I love them, love them, LOVE THEM. What a wonderful world it must be where peace and love and joy reign and all problems are solved by Christmas, or at the latest, New Years Eve. I watch them over and over and over again. I swear I have seen some of them a dozen times or more. The moral of most of them is pretty much the same, that what's truly important is family and that love conquers all. I know them by heart and I even miss some that they don't run anymore (whatever happened to the one with Tom Wopat and John Schneider - yup, the Dukes of Hazard boys, where they played feuding trucker brothers who bring Christmas to a snowed-in town? And I think they retired the one with Connie Stevens and Randy Travis too, I haven't seen that one this year.) I even have an idea for a Christmas movie that I think I'll be writing.

And while some holiday spirit is eluding me, I have had the baking bug. For a friend's Christmas party last weekend I made sugar cookies and fudge. Both turned out way better than I had expected. I love frosted sugar cookies but hadn't found the perfect recipe (although any cookie topped with my home made buttercream is still pretty good.) But I found a fabulous sugar cookie that I made (and have since made a second batch since my mom wanted more). I even hand painted some of them, see?




They are so good, I'm having trouble limiting myself. Here is the recipe, courtesy of Alton Brown and Food Network (with a tiny tweak by me, Alton's used no vanilla and I like a little vanilla in my sugar cookie).

SUGAR COOKIES

3 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. heavy cream (Alton's recipe called for 1 Tbsp. milk, but I figured with a half a pound of butter already we would go whole hog and use cream, but I only used 2 teaspoons because I added vanilla)

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer (Alton says stand mixer but I only had my hand mixer but this dough gets really stiff so if you have a stand mixer, use it) and beat until light in color. Add egg, vanilla and cream and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add four and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl (with a hand mixer you may have to finish mixing by hand as the dough gets too stiff to beat.) Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. (Alton says two hours but in my fridge that made it too hard to roll so I recommend an hour.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out dough on a floured board (Alton recommends using powdered sugar instead of flour but it made the cookies stick to the pan after baking which made me break a few. I used flour on the second batch and they came off beautifully) to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges. Cool on wire rack. Serve as is or decorate as desired.

Honestly, these are so good and they just scream Christmas to me. You can eat them plain, or sprinkle them with colored sugar before baking or frost them. There is even a pre-made royal icing that you can put on the cookies that dries hard and you can paint them like I did. (I just dipped a paintbrush in a little food coloring. No artistic talent required, as you can clearly see.)

So that's how I'm trying to get into the holiday spirit this year, cookies and Christmas movies. Hope you are getting into the holiday mood too!

I've Been Naughty

I sure hope Santa doesn't cross me off the nice list because I've been neglecting my blog. I have been so bad to you, Loyal Readers and I'm sorry. I wish I had a good excuse, like a breakthrough in my cure for cancer or an urgent call to help broker peace in the Middle East. But no, just a combination of busy and lazy (it's a bad combination). I have decided that the reason people make so man New Years Resolutions is because it's hard to get anything accomplished during December.

Early edits on Vegas Schmegas have indicated that we not only need to re-shoot some scenes for technical reasons but also some additional scenes need to be written and shot. This weekend we will re-shoot at the motel location and shoot some narration that will help tie the project together. We may have to re-shoot the infamous 'dominatrix' scene as well due to a style change by our director. In the end it will make the finished product look incredible but I'm a little daunted at the idea of re-shooting that scene, primarily because I have indulged a bit too much in the holiday treats (I haven't actually gained any weight but I'm sure it's there, hiding, just waiting for me to put those fishnets back on!)

Last week and this week have been busy due to some major appliance issues. The washer stopped spinning, leaving the clothes clean but sopping wet which is especially bad when you have a dryer with no heat (don't ask, it has something to do with my mother's moral indignation against paying for electricity to heat when we live in the desert, so we line dry our clothes.) This was compounded by the need for a new refrigerator, the old one having been held together with hope and duct tape. One of the joys of living in an old house (oops, sorry, now we are referring to it as "mid-century" so it sounds almost chic) is that things are old and should be replaced but they still 'sort-of' work and so we just adapt to the quirks of each thing. (Oh, I could tell you stories about how to get our 45 year-old toilets to function somewhat properly but I don't want to frighten you.) My mother's siblings gave her gift cards for a new fridge for her birthday in September but we hadn't gone yet (again, a combination of busy and lazy). The more pressing need for a new washer sent us to Lowe's to buy some new appliances.

We bought a lovely new high efficiency front-loading washer (which my mother still doubts can be getting our clothes clean using that little water) and a new fridge (so pretty, clean and white and with nary a duct tape anywhere). They were delivered on Monday (bless you delivery men who were here and gone BEFORE the scheduled delivery time and were so courteous and helpful) which meant eating all the ice cream and superfluous food over the weekend and cleaning it out and moving all the accumulated junk around the old washer. Then I had to learn how to use our new washer (which has a program display that I think also controls NASA satellites) and put in new shelving to accommodate the new 'front load' configuration and then do DOZENS of loads of laundry that had piled up during the week without a washer. Plus I got to arrange the new fridge the way I wanted it (my mom gave me the privilege since I do most of the cooking. I love it. The condiment drawers are so large that all our old stuff fit and we still have tons of room left over. I'm trying to resist the urge to BUY MORE CONDIMENTS!!!!)

My mother is working six days a week since one co-worker left for a job at Encore (congrats Brigeda!) and her manager is quitting to move back to California due to foreclosure, leaving her the sole employee at that store. Someone from the Henderson store is there to help her until they can get people hired but it still means working every day except Sunday (thanks goodness the store is closed one day a week!)

Still, even if I have been busy and lazy, it's no reason to shirk my blogging duties. I promise to be better and get back to blogging daily. But I'll be honest, snuggling in bed on a cold winter morning is more appealing than getting up early to exercise and blog. But I'll be good Santa, honest I will. (Because he knows when I am sleeping and he knows when I'm blogging!)

I DID IT!!!!!!!

I did it, I completed NaNoWriMo!!!! I wrote a 50,000 word novel. (52,228 words to be exact.) And CONGRATULATIONS to my writing buddies Dyann, Maura and Noreen who also won NaNoWriMo!!! You guys ROCK!

How is the novel? It's AWFUL. Terrible. Atrocious. Horrible. It's called "A Time to Dream", that's how pathetic it is. What do you expect of a novel written in less than 30 days? But being good wasn't the point, for me, the point was to get done. 1,667 words a day. It seemed really intimidating until I realized that some of my daily posts here are longer than that, and I do those in less than an hour usually. So while the Graminator is napping, I CAN get into a daily writing habit.

This novel is so bad that I'm going to burn it. It's a time to die for "A Time to Dream". Now I don't believe in book burning (that's wrong) but since this one is mine I'm going to burn it in effigy, as a sacrifice to the 'writing gods' to give me the chance to write better ones. How can it be that bad? Well, I think my fellow writers will understand when I say that I used all the right words, I just put them in the wrong order. But again, this challenge wasn't for a good novel, it was for a finished novel. I'm sure Dyann and Maura and Noreen wrote great novels, but with the challenges of the Vegas Schmegas shoot I was really behind, so I wrote total crap. Pure and utter drivel. It was all for word count. No one should ever be forced to read such manure. So today, I release the words back into the universe so that I may use them again and this time put them in the right order.

NaNoWriMo gave me hope that I can write a better novel this time. I actually have three projects planned for December (I'll tell you more as I complete them) and I look forward now to some GOOD writing. Join me as I wave goodbye to my first (and hopefully worst) novel.